Steve went to get his own jacket, and the weed. “Ready?” he asked as he came back to the kitchen.

“Does it look like I’m ready?” Ghost asked, through a mouthful of food.

“Well, bring it with you, c’mon,” Steve said, as he threw Ghost’s jacket over the chair.

They made their way by moonlight, down the path, to the graveyard. Leaning up against their usual headstone, Steve lit up, took a long toke, and passed it over to Ghost.

“Ahh, I needed that,” Steve said. “I’ve been all tensed up.

Ghost leaned his head back, to look at the moon. “It’ll be a full moon in a few days…ya know, it always is at Halloween.”

“Yeah?” Steve asked, looking up, too.

A slight breeze blew some dry leaves around in a little whirlwind.

“Listen…” Ghost said, as he sat up.

“What is it?” Steve asked.

“Shh…it’s kinda a scritching sound.” Ghost turned his head back and forth to better sense where the sound was coming from. Then he grabbed Steve’s arm, almost knocking the joint out of Steve’s fingers.

“Watch it, Ghost!” Steve said, frowning.

“It’s Nothing!” Ghost whispered.

They both stared at the back of the graveyard, which was in almost total darkness. Only when the breeze ruffled the tree branches, did slivers of moonlight filter through. The shadows seemed to writhe around.

“Do you still hear it?” Steve asked.

“No, but I swear I did, Steve. I don’t see anything though, and I don’t sense anybody trying to talk to me.”

They stayed awhile longer. A fog began to form, making everything damp.

“I gotta go in, Steve, my butt’s getting wet from sitting on this grass, and now I think I feel ticks crawling on me,” Ghost said, shuddering as his teeth began chattering from the chill.

“Yeah, let’s go in. We got rid of that Nothing bloodsucker, but these ticks out here are almost as bad.” Steve stood up, holding out his hand to help Ghost up.

Ghost kept looking out over the graveyard. “Maybe we should go check…see if he’s trying to get out.”

“Are you crazy? There’s no way in hell we’re going over there, Ghost. Not tonight, anyway.” Steve picked his way through the crosses and R.I.P markers, and back to the house, Ghost close behind.

Immediately on entering the house, Ghost went to change into sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. He grabbed a blanket, and came out to sit on the couch. Steve did the same, after fixing them both a bowl of cereal. He flipped on the tv.

“What’cha trying to find?” Ghost asked.

“Something…anything…” Steve always complained about tv reception. They were too far out to get cable, and so they didn’t often even turn on the set. He flipped through the three channels they could sometimes get, finding static on one, a horror movie, that kept fading in and out, and the local news on the third.

Ghost nodded, and turned the tv off. “This just gets worse and worse. What if they make us take a lie detector test, Steve?”

Steve snorted, “That’s not gonna happen. Nobody suspects us of anything, so why would they do that? I’m tired of thinking about it..I’m going to bed.”

Ghost stayed up a little longer, trying to push his mind into the near future, hoping to see what was going to happen, but it wasn’t working. “Too much smoke in my brain,” he muttered, as he went on to bed, too.

~

Zach and Trevor were back at the house on Violin Road. Trevor was trying to draw in his sketchbook. Zach was practicing a song, and doing rock star poses.

“What does this one look like, Trev?” he asked for the millionth time.

“C’mon man, I’m not trying to be cute. I’m supposed to be rad, like aaggh!” He made his hands into horn shapes.

Trevor laughed, “Well, ya got that part right, but you’re still cute.”

Zach smiled, “I know.” He went back to his song.

“Hey, Zach, what do ya think happened to Nothing? He’s still missing. Nobody’s heard from him.”

“I know, but something may turn up, now that we reported it. I kinda feel bad about saying this, but…well, I hope he gets found and all, but, he’s kinda weird. I don’t think we need him as our manager, anyway. I can do all that stuff, ya know.”

Trevor nodded in agreement. “Well, if he shows up, you can tell him to get lost, again, how ’bout that?”

“Okay, I will,” Zach said. “I still think Steve and Ghost know something about it. I plan on talking to them, next time I see them. Aren’t they supposed to play at the club this Saturday night?”

“Oh, yeah, guess we better go check them out,” Trevor said.

~

Monday morning, Steve actually got up early. “C’mon, Ghost,” he said, as he went in to wake him. “Are you going with me or not?”

“I’m going…or I’m gonna be going…when are you going?” Ghost asked.

Steve rolled his eyes. “I’m going when I finish getting ready…so get up.”

“I need coffee,” Ghost said, as he burrowed deeper into his blankets.

“Then get up and get it. I’ve got a couple more things to do, then I’m leaving…with or without ya,” Steve said, as he left the room.

“Because I don’t want to be late, and you always make me late,” Steve said. “You going like that?” he asked, when he saw what Ghost had slept in…just his oversize tie-dyed t-shirt and knee socks.

Ghost looked down at his clothes. “Yep, does it bother you?”

“No, but you might not want to go flashing the whole town,” Steve laughed.

“Fine, I’ll get ready,” Ghost said, as he took his coffee back to his room.

“Hurry up!” Steve hollered.

When Ghost came back out, Steve was already in the car, revving the engine, listening to how it was running. “Gotta get a tune-up, soon, ” he said, as Ghost got in the car. He had his second cup of coffee in his hand, and it sloshed over and onto his jeans.

“You’re a mess, Dude,” Steve said. He drove down the gravel drive, and onto the dirt track, toward the main road.

“Slow down, Steve,” Ghost said, as more coffee spilled on him. Steve was hitting ruts, making the car jolt.

“Just hang on, we’ll be at the road in a minute. Did you get your camera?”

“Camera?” Ghost asked, then remembered. “Oh, crap, I forgot it. You have to go back, Steve.”

“You’re joking, right? It’s not in your backpack?”

Ghost felt around in the bag. “No, it’s not here…go back.”

“Dammit, Ghost,” Steve said, but turned the car around to go back to the house. “Go get it, then.”

Ghost set his coffee on the dash, and ran back to get his camera. Steve closed his eyes, and leaned his head back, taking deep breaths.

“Okay, I got it, we can go now,” Ghost said, getting back in the car.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, then started the car again. This time they made it all the way into town. Steve dropped Ghost off at the drugstore, then went on over to the Whirling Disc.

***

Next part coming soon!

***

Thanks to Katherine for suggesting adding bloodsucking ticks to the story! Go see her blog post about the creepy crawlies here

This is a work of “fan fiction” based on the novel, “Lost Souls” by Poppy Z. Brite. All credit for the original characters, places, and some backstory mentions, belong to Ms. Brite and her publishing affiliates. Only newly introduced characters, places, and original elements of this story are entirely from my imagination. Character descriptions are a blend of the original book descriptions and my interpretation of them.

All songs included in this work will be solely owned by the original performers/writers and will be credited. Creative license is taken in including them in this story.

No harm is intended toward author, musicians, or people and situations to whom there may be a resemblance.

warning warning warning warning

The content herein is rated by me as being at the high end of MA (Mature Audience). It includes strong language, violence, sexual themes, including same sex pairings, religious themes, and fantasy horror.

Steve went to get his own jacket, and the weed. “Ready?” he asked as he came back to the kitchen.

“Does it look like I’m ready?” Ghost asked, through a mouthful of food.

“Well, bring it with you, c’mon,” Steve said, as he threw Ghost’s jacket over the chair.

They made their way by moonlight, down the path, to the graveyard. Leaning up against their usual headstone, Steve lit up, took a long toke, and passed it over to Ghost.

“Ahh, I needed that,” Steve said. “I’ve been all tensed up.

Ghost leaned his head back, to look at the moon. “It’ll be a full moon in a few days…ya know, it always is at Halloween.”

“Yeah?” Steve asked, looking up, too.

A slight breeze blew some dry leaves around in a little whirlwind.

“Listen…” Ghost said, as he sat up.

“What is it?” Steve asked.

“Shh…it’s kinda a scritching sound.” Ghost turned his head back and forth to better sense where the sound was coming from. Then he grabbed Steve’s arm, almost knocking the joint out of Steve’s fingers.

“Watch it, Ghost!” Steve said, frowning.

“It’s Nothing!” Ghost whispered.

They both stared at the back of the graveyard, which was in almost total darkness. Only when the breeze ruffled the tree branches, did slivers of moonlight filter through. The shadows seemed to writhe around.

“Do you still hear it?” Steve asked.

“No, but I swear I did, Steve. I don’t see anything though, and I don’t sense anybody trying to talk to me.”

Ghost kept looking out over the graveyard. “Maybe we should go check…see if he’s trying to get out.”

“Are you crazy? There’s no way in hell we’re going over there, Ghost. Not tonight, anyway.” Steve picked his way through the crosses and R.I.P markers, and back to the house, Ghost close behind.

Immediately on entering the house, Ghost went to change into sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. He grabbed a blanket, and came out to sit on the couch. Steve did the same, after fixing them both a bowl of cereal. He flipped on the tv.

“What’cha trying to find?” Ghost asked.

“Something…anything…” Steve always complained about tv reception. They were too far out to get cable, and so they didn’t often even turn on the set. He flipped through the three channels they could sometimes get, finding static on one, a horror movie, that kept fading in and out, and the local news on the third.

Ghost nodded, and turned the tv off. “This just gets worse and worse. What if they make us take a lie detector test, Steve?”

Steve snorted, “That’s not gonna happen. Nobody suspects us of anything, so why would they do that? I’m tired of thinking about it..I’m going to bed.”

Ghost stayed up a little longer, trying to push his mind into the near future, hoping to see what was going to happen, but it wasn’t working. “Too much smoke in my brain,” he muttered, as he went on to bed, too.

~

Zach and Trevor were back at the house on Violin Road. Trevor was trying to draw in his sketchbook. Zach was practicing a song, and doing rock star poses.

“What does this one look like, Trev?” he asked for the millionth time.

“C’mon man, I’m not trying to be cute. I’m supposed to be rad, like aaggh!” He made his hands into horn shapes.

Trevor laughed, “Well, ya got that part right, but you’re still cute.”

Zach smiled, “I know.” He went back to his song.

“Hey, Zach, what do ya think happened to Nothing? He’s still missing. Nobody’s heard from him.”

“I know, but something may turn up, now that we reported it. I kinda feel bad about saying this, but…well, I hope he gets found and all, but, he’s kinda weird. I don’t think we need him as our manager, anyway. I can do all that stuff, ya know.”

Trevor nodded in agreement. “Well, if he shows up, you can tell him to get lost, again, how ’bout that?”

“Ok, I will,” Zach said. “I still think Steve and Ghost know something about it. I plan on talking to them, next time I see them. Aren’t they supposed to play at the club this Saturday night?”

“Oh, yeah, guess we better go check them out,” Trevor said.

~

Monday morning, Steve actually got up early. “C’mon, Ghost,” he said, as he went in to wake him. “Are you going with me or not?”

“I’m going…or I’m gonna be going…when are you going?” Ghost asked.

Steve rolled his eyes. “I’m going when I finish getting ready…so get up.”

“I need coffee,” Ghost said, as he burrowed deeper into his blankets.

“Then get up and get it. I’ve got a couple more things to do, then I’m leaving…with or without ya,” Steve said, as he left the room.

“Because I don’t want to be late, and you always make me late,” Steve said. “You going like that?” he asked, when he saw what Ghost had slept in…just his oversize tie-dyed t-shirt and knee socks.

Ghost looked down at his clothes. “Yep, does it bother you?”

“No, but you might not want to go flashing the whole town,” Steve laughed.

“Fine, I’ll get ready,” Ghost said, as he took his coffee back to his room.

“Hurry up!” Steve hollered.

When Ghost came back out, Steve was already in the car, revving the engine, listening to how it was running. “Gotta get a tune-up, soon, ” he said, as Ghost got in the car. He had his second cup of coffee in his hand, and it sloshed over and onto his jeans.

“You’re a mess, Dude,” Steve said. He drove down the gravel drive, and onto the dirt track, toward the main road.

“Slow down, Steve,” Ghost said, as more coffee spilled on him. Steve was hitting ruts, making the car jolt.

“Just hang on, we’ll be at the road in a minute. Did you get your camera?”

“Camera?” Ghost asked, then remembered. “Oh, crap, I forgot it. You have to go back, Steve.”

“You’re joking, right? It’s not in your backpack?”

Ghost felt around in the bag. “No, it’s not here…go back.”

“Dammit, Ghost,” Steve said, but turned the car around to go back to the house. “Go get it, then.”

Ghost set his coffee on the dash, and ran back to get his camera. Steve closed his eyes, and leaned his head back, taking deep breaths.

“Ok, I got it, we can go now,” Ghost said, getting back in the car.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, then started the car again. This time they made it all the way into town. Steve dropped Ghost off at the drugstore, then went on over to the Whirling Disc.

This is a work of “fan fiction” based on the novel, “Lost Souls” by Poppy Z. Brite. All credit for the original characters, places, and some backstory mentions, belong to Ms. Brite and her publishing affiliates. Only newly introduced characters, places, and original elements of this story are entirely from my imagination. Character descriptions are a blend of the original book descriptions and my interpretation of them.

All songs included in this work will be solely owned by the original performers/writers and will be credited. Creative license is taken in including them in this story.

No harm is intended toward author, musicians, or people and situations to whom there may be a resemblance.

warning warning warning warning

The content herein is rated by me as being at the high end of MA (Mature Audience). It includes strong language, violence, sexual themes, including same sex pairings, religious themes, and fantasy horror.